What do you get when you cross Pride and Prejudice with Sarah, Plain and Tall?
You're about to find out!
This week, we dive into Mr. Darcy’s Mail-Order Bride by J. Dawn King, a variation that moves our favorite couple from Hertfordshire to post–Civil War Oregon and swaps empire-waist dresses and tea rooms for sturdy walking boots and logging camps.
We chat about the charm (and chaos) of the mail-order bride trope, what it takes to fall in love after "I do," and how far a variation can stray while still keeping Austen's heart.
We also go off on a big tangent about the upcoming Netflix Pride & Prejudice adaptation, and lay out our "wish list" items for what we hope is included. (Spoiler: Emilie reeeeeally wants a Darcy that smiles and more walks at Rosings!)
So grab your bonnet and join us for a fun, thoughtful ride through this Oregon-flavored variation and beyond!
🎵 Music Credit:
Pride & Prejudice Book Club Theme composed, performed, and arranged by Megan Mason.
📚 Curious what we will be reading next? See a list of upcoming books at prideandprejudicebookclub.com!
➡️ Follow us on Facebook and Instagram, or sign up for our newsletter at prideandprejudicebookclub.com/newsletter!
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Nine Ladies - By Heather Moll
Have you ever wished you could step into the world of Pride and Prejudice, if only for a day? In Heather Moll’s Nine Ladies, that fantasy comes true... with a time-travel twist that had us completely hooked.
Co-hosts Emilie and Sharon are absolutely swooning over this Pride and Prejudice variation with a deliciously Outlander-esque twist! When modern-day Elizabeth finds herself flung back to Regency-era Pemberley, she must navigate corsets, strange customs, and a very compelling Mr. Darcy. But things take an unexpected turn when he follows her back to the 21st century.
Now what?
Because while they’ve fallen in love across time, reality isn't so easily rewritten. Elizabeth can’t see herself giving up her independence to live in the 1800s, and Darcy, a literal man out of time, can’t just forge a new life in the modern world without consequences. So how can they possibly make it work?
We dig into all the juicy details, from time-travel ethics to Darcy’s hilarious discomfort with shorts and spicy food. Heather Moll does an amazing job balancing fantasy with thoughtful realism, especially in crafting an ending that actually earns its happily ever after.
Also on the table? Corsets, heartbreak, and whether you’d choose plumbing or a cravat-wearing Darcy. You know, the important things.
📣 Book Clubbers, weigh in: Would you stay in 1812 for love, or convince Darcy to make a new life in your world?
🎵 Music Credit:
Pride & Prejudice Book Club Theme composed, performed, and arranged by Megan Mason.
📚 Curious what we will be reading next? See a list of upcoming books at prideandprejudicebookclub.com!
➡️ Follow us on Facebook and Instagram, or sign up for our newsletter at https://www.prideandprejudicebookclub.com/newsletter
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An Offer of Marriage - By Amy D'Orazio
There are JAFF stories, and then there are JAFF rollercoasters, and Amy D’Orazio's An Offer of Marriage is definitely the latter! Emilie Davis is joined this week by co-host Sharon Cortes to unpack the bonkers-in-the-best-way moments of this wildly entertaining Pride and Prejudice variation, from Anne de Bourgh going full villain mode (with the tantrums, poison, and assassins to prove it) to Darcy’s very public meltdown outside White’s.
We dive into the dynamics of Elizabeth and Darcy's enemies-to-lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers arc, their emotional role reversals, and the highlight of Lord Saye being hilariously terrifying at the opera. It’s chaotic, it’s cathartic, and it might just be your new favorite forced marriage variation!
🎵 Music Credit:
Pride & Prejudice Book Club Theme composed, performed, and arranged by Megan Mason.
📚 Curious what we will be reading next? See a list of upcoming books at prideandprejudicebookclub.com!
➡️ Follow us on Facebook and Instagram, or sign up for our newsletter at https://www.prideandprejudicebookclub.com/newsletter
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Such Persuasions as These - By Emilia Stratford
Before there’s love, there’s friendship, and in Such Persuasions as These by Emilia Stratford, that friendship is genuine, unexpected, and exactly what Mr. Darcy didn’t know he needed.
In this week’s episode, Emilie Davis is joined by guest co-host Sharon Cortez to discuss a variation where Elizabeth leads with kindness, not combat, and finds herself at the center of Darcy’s slow, sweet transformation.
When Elizabeth claims to be engaged to a certain Captain Wentworth (yes, that Captain Wentworth), she unintentionally clears the emotional runway for something rare in Pride and Prejudice retellings: a sincere and supportive friendship between our beloved leads. Emilie and Sharon dive into why this works so well, what makes this Darcy especially lovable, and how friendship-first stories offer something different than slow-burn romance alone.
They also swap personal stories about “fake engagements,” adult friendship struggles, and the sitcom-style friend groups they’ve longed for or found along the way.
If you’ve ever wished for more time with Darcy and Elizabeth simply getting to know one another, this one’s for you!
🎵 Music Credit:
Pride & Prejudice Book Club Theme composed, performed, and arranged by Megan Mason.
📚 Curious what we will be reading next? See a list of upcoming books at prideandprejudicebookclub.com!
➡️ Follow us on Facebook and Instagram, or sign up for our newsletter at https://www.prideandprejudicebookclub.com/newsletter!
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An Interview With Narrator Stevie Zimmerman
If you’ve ever found yourself lingering in the car just to finish an audiobook chapter, there’s a good chance Stevie Zimmerman had something to do with it. In this special episode, we sit down with the incredibly talented Stevie Zimmerman, an audiobook narrator with over 340 titles on Audible and a voice many of our Book Clubbers will instantly recognize.
Stevie shares how she found her way into narration, what it’s really like behind the mic, and which kinds of stories she loves to bring to life. (Spoiler: Jane Austen may come up once or twice…) From home recording setups to character accents and everything in between, this is a fascinating peek into a world most of us only hear (but rarely see).
🎵 Music Credit:
Pride & Prejudice Book Club Theme composed, performed, and arranged by Megan Mason.
📚 Curious what we will be reading next? See a list of upcoming books at prideandprejudicebookclub.com!
➡️ Follow us on Facebook and Instagram, or sign up for our newsletter at https://www.prideandprejudicebookclub.com/newsletter!
Welcome to the Pride & Prejudice Book Club, where we discuss variations, alternate universes, and fan fiction versions of Jane Austen’s masterpiece Pride & Prejudice! Enjoy a new book (and discussion) every week. Spoiler warning: this is a book club, so we’re going to assume that you’ve read the book....
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